Launching and loading device for rocket-propelled missiles



United States Patent Inventor Franz Pfister Hochstadt, Germany Appl. No. 757,547 Filed Sept. 5, 1968 Patented Sept. 1, 1970 Assignee Bolkow Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung Ottobrunn near Munich, Germany Priority Sept. 8, 1967 Germany LAUNCIIING AND LOADING DEVICE FOR ROCKET-PROPELLED MISSILES 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 89/1.802,

89/1.805, 89/1.806, 89/l.8l5 Int. Cl F4lf3/04 Field of Search 89/ l .802,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,792,757 5/1957 Carlberg et a1. 89/1 .802 3,316,808 5/1967 Mais 89/1 .804 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,163,192 2/1964 Germany 89/l. 8l5 245,435 2/1966 Austria 89/1 .815

Primary Examiner-Samuel W. Engle A ttorney McGlew and Toren opening facing the lifting mechanism. The distance of me} pivot point of the lifting mechanism from the axis of the magazine is less than the turning radius of the lifting mechanism. Locking means are provided to retain in position those missiles not aligned with the lifting mechanism.

Patenlnad Sept. 1, 1970' Sheet l oi 2 R Or e WWW G N I H z n G. FNMW ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 1, 1910 3,526,166

Shaet Z ot2 INVENTOR Franz Pfister b ATTQRNEYS.

LAUNCHING AND LOADING DEVICE FOR ROCKET- PROPELLED MISSILES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Known launching and loading devices, such as a launching unit for rocket-propelled missiles which are launched either directly or from a launching tube, are provided with a lifting mechanism forming a vertically and laterally adjustable launching frame which moves the missiles out of a magazine, under the control of a sequence control, individually and successively, and moves the missiles from the protection of an en closure into a launching position outside the enclosure.

In these launching units, the lifting mechanism is journalled in a rail so as to be movable upwardly and downwardly. At the end of the lifting motion, and thus when the missile has already been fully extended from the enclosure, the missile is swung into the launching position. The missiles are conveyed to the holding means disposed at the lifting mechanism by a separate feeding device designed as a moving carriage guided on a rail that is pivotable about a pivot fastened on the bottom of a vehicle. The movable carriage has an upright column which carries a further vertically adjustable lifting device for one missile at a time. i

To reload the carriage, the loader must bring the lifting device, which is equipped with hooks of the feeding device, into position by turning the rail about the pivot pin, and must guide the carriage to the location of a missile. After aligning of the lifting device for height and size, he must engage the hooks of the lifting device with holding members of the missile. All this is necessary before the missile, by a vertical movement of the lifting device through the medium of a hand crank, is moved out of its support. In a reversal of the above operation, the missile is then connected with the launching device.

Such a semi-automatic firing unit is thus incompletely suited to fulfill logistic requirements relative to firing sequenceifully automatic reloading between the magazine and the launching device, safety against ABC weapons, and inexpensive conversion, for example, when using the launching units in armored vehicles. The reloading process, with the conveying, moving in and moving out of the respective missiles being fired, is extremely time consuming. In addition, it requires a separate operator. The extending of the missiles is carried out in two separate movements, particularly the vertical movement out of the enclosure and the swiveling movement into the launching position. Thus, here too a certain delay is unavoidable. Moreover, the separate feeding device necessitates a con siderable space requirement for the missiles. Finally, the loader is only inadequately protectable against the effects of ABC weapons.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to missile launchers and, more particularly, to a novel and compact launcher arranged to extract missiles successively from a magazine within a protective enclosure and to move the extracted missiles outside the enclosure into a launching position.

The objective of the invention is to improve known launching units ofthe type mentioned above, and especially to simplify the devices for extracting the missiles from the magazine and moving the extracted missiles out of the protective enclosure. The purpose of the invention is to so arrange these devices, relative to a magazine, that a self-contained launching unit, requiring very little space, is provided and makes possible a fully automatic reloading and launching of a missile in a simple and operationally safe manner. Thereby, the measures for protecting personnel transporting such a launching unit, in a vehicle, for example, are simple and easy to carry out.

The invention starts from a launching unit, for rocketpropelled missiles that are started directly or from a launching tube, and including a lifting mechanism forming a vertically and laterally alignable launching frame which moves the missiles out of a magazine, responsive to a sequence control, one

at a time and successively and, from the protection of a cover, into a launching position outside the cover. In accordance with the invention, the lifting mechanism is arranged radially to the magazine, which latter is designed, in a known manner, as a drum magazine angularly adjustable about a vertical axis. The lifting mechanism is mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis positioned inside the protective cover, and the distance between the axis of pivoting of the lifting mechanism and the axis of angular stepping of the drum magazine is smaller than the turning radius of the lifting mechanism.

The invention arrangement makes it possible to extract a missile from a rotatable magazine solely by means of a pivoting arm and within the smallest of spaces and, in a single swinging or pivoting motion, bring the missile into the launching position, no special loader being required. To make possible this very compact design, the drum magazine is doubly journalled at its center by means of a rotating shaft, and has extending centrally therethrough a divided support member which, in its upper area, has a recess facing the lifting mechanism and permitting the swivel motion of the latter. This recess preferably is designed as a sector-shaped cutout in a truncated cone associated with the upper side of the launching unit and forming part of the support member of the magazine.

In this surprisingly simple manner, the lifting mechanism can, during its swinging movement, swing over and beyond the axis of rotation of the drum magazine. During each operation, the missile extracted by the lifting mechanism has its front end, in the firing position, swung out first from the drum magazine and while the rear end of the missile is still within the protection of the protective cover. Furthermore, the distance the missile has to travel when it is swung out is shorter than the distance a missile has to travel with the conventional operation of vertically extending and then turning through about Aside from the fact that, with the invention, the extraction and moving of the missiles can be effected in a single movement thus resulting in time saving already of great importance with this special application, the distance, also, can be shortened, so that the time is saved also there, and thus the firing sequence can be accelerated.

By arranging the support member in the center of the drum magazine, the magazine can further be mounted in an adequately acceleration-stable manner and without requiring additional space. Also, the missiles and the launching tubes are held in the drum magazine in an acceleration-stable manner, and without impeding the automatic reloading process as a result.

To that end, the drum magazine, for the form-locked mounting of the launching tubes each accommodating one missile, has, in the area of a cylindrically-shaped member enclosing the axis of rotation, upright profile members which are joined with this member through cross pieces. The drum magazine further has tangential stops determining the position of the launching tubes in the magazine. While the profile members support the launching tubes over part of their lengths, the tangential stops serve, in addition to holding the launching tubes at the bottom of the drum magazine, as markings or indications for a correct allocation of the launching tubes to the lifting mechanism. Each launching tube containing a missile can have, as disclosed in German patent application B 92,689, US. Ser. No. 724,118, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,459,100, a cable conduit which at the same time serves as a support block for the locking members joined with the lifting mechanism.

For the acceleration-stable mounting of those launching tubes which do not face the lifting mechanism, these are held, in accordance with a further feature of the invention, so as to be positively retained at the upper side of the drum magazine by a spring-loaded, horseshoe-shaped plate which, during stepwise rotation of the drum magazine effected by a hydraulic lifting mechanism and against the bias of springs, can be lifted briefly from all of the launching tubes, while the particular launching tube facing the lifting mechanism, and not held by this plate, is held in guides which are fastened on a hatch movable under the control of the sequence control.

Thereby, it is assured, in a simple manner, that all missiles in the magazine, with their launching tubes, are held there securely until a launching tube, upon a stepwise rotation of the drum magazine, is shifted into the reloading position. This latter launching tube is also held, by the hatch, until it is firmly locked in the locking members of the lifting mechanism and the swinging out operation commences.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the drum magazine and lifting mechanism are arranged inside a container which contains all the components required for the sequence control, the transverse section of this container comprising an area bounded by arcs of two mutually touching circles of different diameters and the two tangents common to these circles.

The launching unit, as a self-contained unit, has the advantage that it is functional by itself and able to be built into various vehicles. The special form of the container makes possible that, in an armored vehicle, two containers can be arranged in such a way that the missiles or their launching tubes are swingable into their firing position in the direction of travel. One wall of each container, extending as one of the mentioned tangents, is arranged approximately parallel to the longitudinally extending outer side wall of the armored vehicle.

Thus, armored vehicles of the conventional design can be provided, without any substantial alterations, with launching units for rocket-propelled missiles. The arranging of the lifting mechanism on the line of connection of the centers of the circles makes possible an intersecting of the firing angles of the two launching units, which is tactically extremely advantageous. The required absolute safety of the armored vehicles against ABC weapons is assured with a fully automatic launching unit arranged in a closed container, and even with the hatches open.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved launching mechanism for rocket-propelled missiles.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a launching unit which is simple, compact, and self-contained.

A further object is to provide such a launching unit which is fully automatic in operation, under control of the sequence control, and does not require an additional operator to perform manual functions.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a missile launcher which can be readily mounted in an armored vehicle and without substantial alterations of the armored vehicle as a self-contained unit.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a missile launcher in which two launchers can be arranged in an armored vehicle, in mutually advantageous relation, and without substantial alteration of the armored vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a launching unit in which all the parts are fully protected at all times.

For an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference is made to the following description of a typical embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the Drawings:

FIG. I is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a launching unit embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a somewhat schematic plan, view illustrating the arrangement of two such launching units in an armored vehicle, in plan view; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged part elevation and part sectional view of the lifting mechanism which forms a vertical and laterally alignable launching frame.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, a closed container 1 accommodates all the components of a launching unit. The cross section of this container is so designed that it has an area enclosed by arcs of two mutually touching circles of different diameters and by the two tangents common to the two circles. On the upper side or lid 2 of container 1, there are provided two spaced movable hatches, namely a hatch 3 for the lifting mechanism 4, described more fully hereinafter, and a hatch 5 through which a launching tube 7 containing a missile is swung out and into the launching position 7a shown in dash and dot lines in FIG. 1, in a manner also to be described. On the right side, as viewed in FIG. 1, container 1 has a reloading opening 10 in a jacket 8, and this opening is accessible from the outside.

The launching unit housed in container 1 comprises essentially a hydraulically actuated lifting mechanism 4, a drum magazine 11, accommodating the missiles in their launching tubes, as well as those units, shown only partially in FIG. 1, for carrying out the sequence control of the launching unit. Such units include a hydraulic control unit 13, a pump 14 and an electric motor 16 which, through pinions 17 and I8, drives a rotatable track 20 forming the bottom of the drum magazine. All of the mentioned components are easily accessible from outside through the reloading opening 10, for maintenance purposes, for example.

Lifting mechanism 4 comprises an arm 23 pivotal about the axis of a horizontal shaft 22 which is housed in a bearing block 24 conforming to the configuration of the associated part of the container jacket 8. This bearing block, in turn, is fastened, with its flattened ends, on box-like stiffening members 27 and 28 arranged on the jacket of the container on respective opposite sides of arm 23. Stiffening members 27 and 28 further support a bearing shaft 30 which extends parallel to shaft 22 and is located beneath the latter. A lifting cylinder 31, for effecting the pivoting movement of arm 23, is hinged on shaft 30 and, in a manner not further illustrated, is connected with pump 14. A telescopic plunger slides inside lifting cylinder 31, but only a lug 33 thereofis shown in FIG. 1. Lug 33 encloses a journal 32 extending radially from arm 23.

FIG. 3 illustrates the members for effecting the lateral setting movement and height setting movement of the missile or of its launching tube, to an enlarged scale. In the free end 35 of arm 23 of lifting mechanism 4, there is provided, by way of example, a hydraulically driven rotary motor 36 of conventional design. Through a shaft 37, motor 36 drives a connecting part 39 that is journalled for rotation by means of bearings 38, and effects the lateral setting movement. A shaft 40 is journalled in connecting part 39 and is connected with a flange 41 of a locking mechanism 42 of the type described in further detail, for example, in German patent application B 92,689.

The drive of the shaft 40 for height setting of the locking device 42 carrying the respective missile is effected by a plunger 44 joined eccentrically with the end 43 of shaft 40 opposite the locking device of a piston moving within a cylinder 45, but not shown. Cylinder 45 is connected to the hydraulic control unit through conduits 48 extending through spindle 37 and through an axial bore 46 in flange 47 of connecting part 39. Conduits 49, for supplying hydraulic fluid to locking mechanism 42, extend through plunger 44 and shaft 40. Of course, the components for height setting and lateral setting are held immovable by means of a locking unit (not shown) as long as arm 23 is acting as a lifting mechanism. As can be seen from the dash-dotted illustration of FIG. I, hatch 3 is located above lifting mechanism 4. It has a known spring biased hinged joint 52 and, on its bottom surface, is provided with an extension 53 with a cam-shaped rounded edge 54. Hatch 3 can be opened by the lifting mechanism. During opening of the hatch, the cam-shaped edge 54 slides, to the extent of the swing-out or swing-in motion of arm 23, along this arm. In the position of the lifting mechanism shown in FIG. 1, hatch 3 is maintained closed by the spring bias.

In the widening right part of the container 1 as shown in FIG. 1, drum magazine 11 is arranged radially to arm 23 of lifting mechanism 4. The rotary shaft 57 of magazine 11 is doubly journalled. The first bearing, which is provided on the rotating track 20, is not visible in FIG. 1, and the second bearing 58 is located in the area of the free end of rotary shaft 57. Shaft 57 is arranged inside a body comprising a lower cylindrical part 61 and a truncated cone part 62, the parts 61 and 62 being interconnected through flanges 69 and 70. The tapered end 64 of truncated cone 62 is arranged at the location of bearing 58, so that parts 61 and 62 can take part in the movement ofdrum magazine 11.

A support member 60 extends centrally of drum magazine 11, and this support member comprises a stationary support shaft 59 and an inverted truncated cone 63 connected to shaft 59 through the medium of flanges 66 and 67. As seen in FIG. 1, the base of the upper truncated cone 63, facing the upper side of container 1, is positively retained against movement in a manner to be described. On the side turned toward the lifting mechanism 4, truncated cone 63 is formed with a recess designed as a sector-shaped cutout 72, so that arm 23 is able to execute a radial pivoting movement extending beyond the rotary shaft or axis of drum magazine 11.

At the circumference of rotating track forming the bottom of drum magazine 11, there are provided, in certain spaced relation to each other, the launching tubes received by drum magazine 11. In the particular embodiment illustrated, drum magazine 11 contains eight launching tubes 7 each containing one missile 76. To support the individual launching tubes in their lower range, profiled members 78 are disposed in the empty spaces between the launching tubes. As will be apparent from FIG. 2, these profiled members have, at the bottom ofthe drum magazine 11, a cross section in the form of an approximately isosceles triangle, the legs of the triangle forming tangents with the launching tubes 7. The profiled members 78 taper upwardly and terminate roughly at the level of flanges 66 and 67. Members 78 are connected with lower flanges 69 and 70 through cross pieces 80 in the form of tetrahedrons, each having one base joined over its entire surface with the associated profiled member.

As can be seen from FIG. 2, there are further provided, at the bottom of drum magazine 11, and for each missile, two tangential stops 82 which make it possible to put the launching tubes in an already aligned position relative to the lifting mechanism 4, when placing the launching tubes in drum magazine 11. Namely, the launching tubes are so positioned that a cable conduit 84, extending along the launching tube as seen in FIG. 1, projects radially outwardly.

At their upper ends, which form the front ends when in the firing position, all launching tubes 7 are held positively against movement, or are positively fixed. For this purpose, there is provided a roughly horseshoe-shaped plate 85 which surrounds the upper end of the truncated cone 63. Plate 85 is under the bias of springs (not shown), and which are designed as cup springs, for example, which are disposed in cylinders 86 shown only schematically in FIG. I. The plungers 88 of the pistons (not shown) movable in the cylinders are firmly joined with the plate 85. Upon a stepwise rotation of drum magazine 11, plate 85 can be lifted briefly out of engagement with the missiles when these pistons are moved upwardly against the bias of the springs.

Since plate 85 holds down all the launching tubes 7 except that one which is to be extracted, care must be taken that the respective launching tube associated with the lifting mechanism at the stepwise rotation of the drum magazine is held in guiding means. These guiding means, indicated in FIG. 1 at 90, 91 and 92, are fastened on hatch 5 and movable with the latter so that the launching tube to be swung out is held down until it is firmly held in locking mechanism 42 and hatch 5 is opened under the effect of the sequence control. A hatch reinforcement 93 is also illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a plan view of an armored vehicle 94 in which two of the launchin units are built-in. The containers 1, containing the complete aunching units, are so positioned that a tangential part 95 of the container jacket extends parallel to the longitudinal direction of the outer or side edge 96 of the vehicle. Thus, in each case, the connecting line between the centers of the two circles representing the cross section of the container extends diagonally outwardly. In this manner, a favorable lateral setting range for the launching tubes can be attained.

Additionally, when installing the self-contained launching units, a complicated alteration of conventional units is not necessary since the launching units, as a unit, can be lowered into an opening 99 provided in the cover 98 of the vehicle. For example, the units can be mounted and bolted onto a flange arranged about the opening 99, but not shown in FIG. 2. Inside the armored vehicle, at the rear end, there can be provided further a magazine 100 carrying additional missiles 101 for reloading of drum magazine 11 through the opening 10 provided for that purpose.

Iclaim:

1. In a launching unit, for rocket-propelled missiles, including a lifting mechanism forming a vertically and laterally adjustable launching frame which, in response to a sequence control, moves the missiles singly and successively out of a magazine and from a protected position with in an enclosure into a launching position outside the enclosure, the improvement comprising, in combination, said magazine being designed as a drum magazine angularly adjustable about a vertical axis; said lifting mechanism being arranged radially to said magazine; means mounting said lifting mechanism for swinging about a horizontal axis within said enclosure; the distance between the swinging axis of said lifting mechanism and the axis of said drum magazine being less than the turning radius of said lifting mechanism; a rotary shaft extending axially of said magazine; means doubly journalling said magazine on said rotary shaft; and a divided support member extending axially of said magazine; said support member, on its side facing said lifting mechanism and in its upper area, being formed with a recess permitting swinging movement of said lifting mechanism about its horizontal axis.

2. In a launching unit, the improvement claimed in claim 1, in which said recess isa sector-shaped. cutout in a truncated cone adjacent the upper side of said launching unit and forming part of said support member.

3. In a launching unit, the improvement claimed in claim 1, including a cylindrically-shaped member enclosing said rotary shaft; upright profiled members connected to said cylindrically-shaped member through cross pieces and serving for form-locking mounting of missiles in said magazine; and stops arranged circumferentially of said magazine and arrange to tangentially engage missiles mounted therein to determine the positions of the missiles in said magazine.

4. In a launching unit, the improvement claimed in claim 1, including a spring-loaded horseshoe-shaped plate at the upper side of said magazine and positively retaining those launching tubes not facing the lifting mechanism; and a hydraulic lifting means operable, during stepwise angular adjustment of said magazine, to disengage said plate briefly from said missiles against the spring bias.

5. In a launching unit, the improvement claimed in claim 4, including a hatch at the upper end of said magazine movable under the control of said sequence control; and guides on said hatch engageable with the launching tube then facing the lifting mechanism and not held by said plate. 

